Increasing cast bullet diameter

[rbstern]

I'm about to start reloading for 38 S&W. I've got a bunch of different .358 diameter molds, both Lee and Lyman, ranging in weights from 105 to 158. I normally cast using wheel weights. The gun is an older H&R break action. I'd like to stick to relatively soft boolits so that mild loads will seal the bore.

I'm looking for suggestions on how to throw the largest possible diameter boolits without altering the molds. Should I change alloy? Skip the wheel weights and go with a lead/tin mix? Change temp?

[Swagerman]

From my own recent experience, I'v bumped .452 lead bullets up to .454 diameter with a .454 swaging die body and round flat top nose punch.

This was done so the bullets would size and lube better in the .454 Star lube die.

While I was at it, I also replaced the .454 die body ejector stem with 1/4 inch taper cone to make a hollow base on the bullets flat base. Some times I make them 1/8 of inch deep, they seem to work very well with the softer lead...but equally well with harder lead.

Get yourself a swaging die from C-H 4D tool, but if you order the regular two die set it will have two different diameters for making jacketed bullets.

I don't do jacketed bullet making, but special order my swaging dies in the exact diameter I expect to reload my bullets in the brass.

Jim

[Springfield]

It's been my experience that the more lead in the mix the smaller the bullet. So wheelweights would be larger than a lead tin mix if the tin was more than the 1/2 % normal in the wheelweights. Some say running a cooler mix and mould will yield a smaller bullet than a hot mould, never tested that properly myself, although from a seat of the pants feeling I believe it to be true. Seemed to be true especially with a LEE 45-70 mould I was using. The frosted bullets came out at .457, where the shiny ones measures out closer to .458. Still a little small but work OK in my Buffalo Classic anyway.

[Springfield]

Swagerman; I had a customer who wanted some .458 250 grain bullets but my mould was designed to drop .455. I put some of the smaller bullets in my arbor press and was able to bump them up to .459 without too much trouble. For some reason he wanted some light 45-70 bullets of the Big Lube(tm) variety, and beagleing the mould didn't quite do it. He hasn't got back to me on how they worked yet, might try some myself next time I shoot Frontiersman. Don't need that much accuracy at 30 yards, and why waste the lead.

[felix]

Springfield, antimony is the only element that we use which allows a boolit to grow in diameter. Bismuth has the same hardening attribute that antimony has, and will keep the boolit diameter as cast. ... felix

[Sky C.]

Keep the soft alloy - "Beagle" the mould to get you some more diameter.

http://ktsammo.250x.com/castboolits/cst3.html

Best regards-

Sky C.

[lovedogs]

Guess I have to claim ignorance. I've seen beagle-ing a mould on here before and have to confess ignorance on this. What is meant by the term?

Hey, help me out here. Not all of us are so knowledgable. Thanks!

[mag_01]

To Beagle a mould simply seperate mould blocks with an aluiminum duct tape found at hardwear stores--produces a egg shape boolit of larger Dia. which u return to a round Dia. in your oversize lubing Die.:castmine:

[woody1]

Guess I have to claim ignorance. I've seen beagle-ing a mould on here before and have to confess ignorance on this. What is meant by the term?

Hey, help me out here. Not all of us are so knowledgable. Thanks!
Go to the link in post #6. Regards, Woody

[Swagerman]

Springfield, I think I ran into the same guy a year or two ago, he wanted some .457 or .459 small weight bullets for his .45-70. Some were as little as 115 grains with hollow bases which gave them longer side shanks. I sent him what he ask for but he never got back to me to tell how they worked out.

I really doubt those little bullets were ever any good for accuracy -- bound to shoot low on POI.

I think I still have the home made swaging die in that big .457-.459 size some place in my gear. Also have some of those lite bullets in that caliber -- some place?

The trouble with bumping up bullet sizes is the distortion of the bullets original shape, especially the nose configuration. That's why its kind of important to have a proper nose punch to retain that shape.

Jim

[Sky C.]

FWIW-

I've tried the "Beagling" process - gained a bit over a thousandths and it did not result in out or round boolits. Suprised me - but it works. No finning or other problems that I'd have expected either.

That Beagle guy is one smart cookie!


Best regards-

Sky C.

[Swagerman]

When you Beagle a bullet mould how do you retain the contours and lube grooves?

Do you cut the shapes with an exacto knife.

How thick is this aluminum duct tape.

Can some one show a picture of a mould having this done to it...a close up.

Jim :coffee:

[sundog]

http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting/castingcouch/index.asp

About halfway down the page is a pic of where to place the tape. Don't remember his handle around here, but [I think] Mark is still a member and poster. sundog

[fourarmed]

If you measure the tape with a caliper, it seems to be too thick, but when you press it onto the mold face, rub it in, and heat it up, one layer results in about a .001" increase in bullet diameter.

It really made a difference in the accuracy of the SAECO boreriders in my Merrill .270 Maximum pistol. At .270 on the nose, they did OK to 100 yards, but there was no way I could call my shots beyond that. After Beagling to .271, at the first silhouette match this year, I shot a 30 standing, with 8x10 rams. I could call almost every shot.

[Springfield]

With one piece of tape the bullets looked OK and were 1-1.5 thousandths bigger. but trying for bigger than that with 2 pieces of tape got me lots of fins. The noses on my bullets were a large flat point so that wasn't a problem in the arbor press. Doesn't mean they will fly well, though.